Bavaria 42

[peterbotto]

We have looked at a New Bavaria 42 and at the prce offered it certainly looks good value.
I've read lots here about Bavarias but has anyone got or heard any recent experiences particularly with warranty or quality. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Swagman]

Can't help re warranty or quality but we had a couple sail in company this summer past - and have to say they suprised me with sailing performance in medium breezes. In that they went well.
JOHN

 

[flaming]

Not personal experience, but a delivery skipper friend of mine tells this story.

He delivered a 40 foot bav to Ireland last year. From lands end to Cork they beat into a 6-7. Not exactly extreme conditions yet on arrival in Cork they had to kick their way into the cabins as the hull had warped and jammed all the doors in their frames!

 

[spannerman]

I did the warranty work for the local Bavaria dealer, lets just say he kept us busy.Wasn't impressed with the quality of the fittings, changed lots of hinges and catches, and fixed many water leaks on the motor boats, there was always rainwater in the engine room. The stainless on the rails didn't seem to be high quality either. Still they are built to a price.

 

[jhr]

You would have to search for it, but somewhere on these forums there is a post by Nicho about a delivery trip to the Canaries, for the start of the ARC, which only got as far as Morocco (?I think?) after hitting bad weather, and which also resulted in, ahem, repositioning of several bits of interior joinery................

 

[Koeketiene]

The whole thing's built out of what I can only call "flexi-GRP".

The issue of the internal joinery is well known - or it should be.
Did a delivery trip 3 years ago from Opal to Burnham in November. F6-7 most of the way.
Whatever was open would not close, whatever was closed would not open.
Took owner nearly 6 months to convince Opal that this was a warranty issue.

Just have 3 adults stand on the foredeck near where you think the foreward bulkhead is - go below, and have them jump up & down in unison - watch the foreward bulkhead! One or two jumps should do it.

Then again, how many people go out in anything more than a F4?
As soon as the forecast's for a F5 or 6 we find that we're alone on the water.

 

[Richard10002]

Buy cheap. Buy twice!

Spend the money wisely on an older, more solid boat, and you wont be dissappointed.

How much is it going to cost? add on a bundle for the things you will need, but dont get.

A second hand boat will obviously need some maintenance and repair, as well as some new bits and pieces but, in the long term, it will serve you better, and hold its value better.

Look at Moodies, (obviously <g>), Hallbergs, Rivals, Bowman, Sweden, Nauticat, Malo, Westerly?, and so on.

You might have to buy 10 years old rather than new, but you will see and feel the difference.

 

[Aardee]

What sort of use will the boat have??

 

[steve_cronin]

Took them forever to change the leaking hatches on our 2001 42AC but despite that she (a much heavier built boat than the current 42) has been a robust old dog and still looks marbellous. Would have preferred a Yanmar to the Volvo and a conventional drive to the saildrive but it seems to have worked very well up to now.

YES the value is remarkable but remember that current models are maybe built for slightly lighter use than those of 5 to ten years ago.

Steve Cronin

 

[dom]

I have sailed a couple of Bavarias and personally did not like them much. A word of caution though. Most manufacturers have problems from time to time and they must be absolutely delighted that Bavaria seem to draw a somewhat excessive amount of flak.

 

[PeterGee]

mm.

Bit generalist I think. I was out all last weekend in my Bav 33. Sunday was a 6 gusting 8 I recall.

Boat was fine and nothing broken. Only challenge was me c*cking myself about returning to the marina with 25 - 30 knots of cross wind.

Peter

 

[bedouin]

As you have noticed - the Bavarias are very good value for money. They achieve that partly by the economies of scale being built on a production line and partly by being built down to a price.

If you read between the lines of all the postings on Bavs you find that there are a lot of happy owners out there who do not go out in the most testing conditions. There is also a lot of evidence that they do not stand up well to heavy weather - but most people will not go out in those conditions so that might not be an issue for you.

You pay your money and you take your choice, but don't expect Rolls Royce quality on a Ford Mondeo budget

 

[Vid]

I had a 2005 Bav42 for a week in the Ionian last month and liked it. Lots of space, easy to handle (particularly good going backwards!) and sailed well in the winds we had. No experience of them in nasty weather but I'd happily have one on a holiday charter again.

_______________________________________________________

I am not entirely worthless - I can be used as a bad example.

 

[ColinHuggins]

Sorry, new readers only, others may switch off now.

Chartered a Bav Holiday 42 for the Round the Island Race in June - no wind, boat quite unsuitable for drifting round the Wight (heavy & undercanvassed) BUT we did finish, 125 out of 750 who completed the course. Pics of us going nowhere at the Needles (with me imparting words of wisdom to adjacent skipper trying to barge in) can be seen in August Yachting World.

Previous bank holiday weekend it blew a hooly, we stayed in the Solent and went everywhere with 2 slabs and 60% jenny, boat handled well, no cause for concern. Only complaints were with sails, equipment, rig etcet, nothing to do with construction or design.

Yes, I was aware of all the flak beforehand, and Yes, I'd take one again. That after some 300 individual charters in the last 20 years.

Nuff sed.

 

[jonjo]

Re: Selective memory problem?

[ QUOTE ]
by Nicho about a delivery trip to the Canaries, for the start of the ARC, which only got as far as Morocco (?I think?) after hitting bad weather, and which also resulted in, ahem, repositioning of several bits of interior joinery

[/ QUOTE ]
Err. I recall that same post, pretty sure Nicho was reporting a trip on a nearly new French AWB, a partial bulkhead in the fore cabin jumped out of place when the hull was in rough water.

Nicho was happy enough with his Bav 36 to recommend the same model to a friend.

 

[jonjo]

Are you not the bloke who decided that his Belgo Euro 38ish something or other was an unsuitable craft to sail more than 20 miles west of Guernsey?

 

[Seven Spades]

Re: Selective memory problem?

I have a Bavaria 36 and don't recognise any of the above problems. My only issue is that it does not like to sail upwind in heavy seas, however I doubt that the 42 will have the same problem. Great accomodation, lots of storage and easy to sail, it is not a Hallberg Rassy and so as long as you understand what you are getting you will probably be quite happy.

Buying an old heavy displacement boat may be better for some, but they will involve more maintainence and you will use your engine more in light winds.

There is no right answer, just buy what suits you. If it is your first boat, you might be better bnuying soething smaller to see how you like it, learn what it will and won't do and then wrk out what boat you would really lioke to buy.

Personaly, I would like a Moody 36, good, solid but I am told they are slow, if I had a bit more money I would buy an Arcona 40.

 

[Koeketiene]

Why do you think I sold it?

At least I did not make the same mistake twice!

 

[xcw]

Let's look at the facts for a moment. Bavaria sell over 2000 new yachts every year, if they were as c*ap as some on this forum would like us to believe you can be sure we would have heard a lot more about it and Bavaria would have gone out of business a long time ago - it's a very competitive market out there. Instead Bavaria continue to expand their business and sell more yachts year on year. Of course they are built to a price (isn't everything?) but IMHO they provide very good value for money and exactly fit my requirements for family cruising in the channel. I have owned a Bav 36 for 4 seasons and surprise surprise nothing has broken and nothing has fallen off and I have been out in a fair few blows. As others have said its horses for corses but I suspect over 2000 new owners per annum cannot be wrong!

 

[Blueboatman]

And Lada used to sell quite a few cars.Also built to a price I believe.
What is this obsession with cheap cheap cheap. It costs as much to buy a new sail for a 42ft quality boat as for a cheapo,but with the latter its a poor investment..'nuff said